The Department of Veterans Affairs is requesting $488.5 billion for its 2027 budget, an 11% increase over the previous year, intended to fund healthcare services and disability benefits for millions of former service members. VA Submits $488 Billion 2027 Budget Proposal The 2027 proposal includes, but is not limited to, $183 billion for discretionary spending,… Read more »
There are VA mortgages for a variety of loan purposes. You can buy a condo unit, townhome, duplex, and multi-unit properties with a VA mortgage. You can also use a VA loan to buy a mobile home and even the land that home is to be placed upon. VA loan rules for manufactured home purchases are a bit different than for buying a typical suburban home, but some of those differences have to do with the unique nature of manufactured housing. Learn more.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has added Parkinson’s Disease to a list of conditions covered under the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program. This means that military spouses and dependents who lived at the Marine Corps base exposed to contaminated drinking water there from August 1, 1953 to December 31, 1987, may qualify for VA reimbursement… Read more »
Update April 29, 2024: The Department of Veterans Affairs updated its policies for those applying for VA benefits without an Honorable, General, or Under Honorable Conditions discharge. Those who have certain discharges (especially those related to so-called “homosexual conduct” or under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) may qualify for VA benefits thanks to these revised policies…. Read more »
If you tried to add or remove dependents from your VA records since 2011, you may need to contact the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure your updates were actually recorded in the system. VA Admits Problems With Updating Dependents In Its System The VA has issued another apology for failure to process claims. This… Read more »
In the summer of 2023, wildfires decimated portions of Hawaii on the island of Maui. One town, Lahaina, was completely wiped out by the fires, which are said to be the worst in the United States in over a century. Hawaii has a large veteran population, and many vets experience complications or interruptions of VA… Read more »
The 2024 budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs is in danger of being vetoed; in the last full week of July 2023, the White House stated that the VA funding bill is rife with controversy over VA policies on reproductive care and is unacceptable in its current form. The House VA budget proposal for… Read more »
UPDATE April 29 2024: The Department of Veterans Affairs has revised its guidelines for healthcare access. Those who previoulsy did not qualify because of military discharges related to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, gender identity, those who were discharged with other-than-honorable characterizations due to combat trauma, being a victim of discrimination or military sexual assault, and… Read more »
Ever since the passage of the PACT Act, which expands VA benefits to qualifying veterans who suffer medical complications from duty-related toxic exposures, there has been a rise in scams targeting those who might benefit from the PACT Act. How widespread is this problem? The official site for AARP notes, “With new benefits come new… Read more »
Do you need help filling out a VA claim application form? If so, plenty of third-party agencies offer to help; everyone from the DAV to the VFW offers assistance. But those agencies aren’t the only ones; there are also third-party companies offering to help. Unfortunately, some of these companies don’t mind charging exorbitant fees to… Read more »